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The New York Giants are a fairly young team, but this does not mean that they do not have big aspirations. Coach John Harbaugh clearly wants guys like Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo to experience a semblance of getting close to a Super Bowl victory. While they all have this shared dream, some players are aiming for legacy-building accolades. Abdul Carter is one of those young guns, and he is aiming to usurp JJ Watt in a certain NFL DPOY record.
Giants' Coach Harbaugh believes Carter has what it takes to win NFL DPOY soon
Abdul Carter is set on winning the NFL Defensive Player of the Year at some point in his career. The Giants linebacker already put up impressive numbers to finish fifth in the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2025, but this was clearly not enough for him.
Coach John Harbaugh is seeing how driven his sophomore linebacker is when it comes to his pursuit of greatness. This is why the Giants head coach believes that his sophomore linebacker can pull off this legendary feat, via Grant Gordon of NFL.com.
"I didn't know him as well because, honestly, in the draft, it wasn't a guy we were really looking at because we weren't going to have a chance to draft him. And so, I didn't know him at all. Then, I started talking to him and liked him right away and the things he had said that he wanted to do. I would say this, I'd say everything he's spoken of in terms of what he wants to accomplish and his plans to do so, he's following through on," the Giants head coach declared.
Carter put up impressive numbers during his rookie year with the Giants. He had 43 combined tackles, with 25 of those being solo takedowns, seven tackles for loss, 23 quarterback hits, and four sacks. The more impressive part? The Giants' defensive menace only started in six of the 17 games he played. With how Coach Harbaugh sees Carter, he will likely get more starts and opportunities to make his numbers grow to be enough for NFL DPOY consideration.
"I think he's been a real leader and mostly by example, by the way he's playing and the energy he's giving. So, it looks good, you're right. I mean, he's had a really, really great camp so far," Coach Harbaugh said.
If Carter does achieve winning the NFL DPOY in just his sophomore season at 23 years old, he will make history. The Giants linebacker can tie legend JJ Watt as the third-youngest winner of the honor. It will take a lot for Carter to reach those heights at such a young age, but his coach's belief is telling.
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